Hercules Powder Data.

[Sub95]

Looking to see if anyone has any information on Hercules, UNIQUE smokeless pistol and shotgun powder.


Thanks

[BIGOX]

Yes I have a bunch from the 50s 60s 70s 80s... or you could just use modern Alliants reloading data it's the powder.

[4DSJW]

Unique was a very popular powder for decades, it still is. There is loading data all over the web for Unique.

[bigbossman]

Unique load data

Any particular caliber/load you're looking for?

[kcstott]

Looking to see if anyone has any information on Hercules, UNIQUE smokeless pistol and shotgun powder.


Thanks

Do you own a manual?? because if you do I can guarantee that Unique is in there.

[Sub95]

Unique load data

Any particular caliber/load you're looking for?

Thank you for that.


Wasn't sure what Hercules was/Is. Never seen it before.

[pacrat]

Thank you for that.


Wasn't sure what Hercules was/Is. Never seen it before.

Hercules Powder Co went away a couple of decades ago. Had been around since very early 1900s until bought out by Alliant.

As well as various gunpowder types. They were one of the largest dynamite manufacturers in the country.

[divingin]

Kind of an interesting read on the old powder manufacturing histories. There have been a couple of Hercules powder companies. As far as local history, it was manufactured in Santa Cruz, and Hercules. Hercules Powder was the namesake of the town Hercules, Ca (northeast SF Bay Area; incorporated in 1900.)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hercules_Inc.

https://www.ci.hercules.ca.us/our-city/our-history

[rsrocket1]

Alliant Unique is very close to Hercules Unique because Alliant manufactures Unique to match the performance of the powder as close as possible. Lot to lot variations even within a year can differ by several percent so it's always best to start low and work your way up ensuring you don't go over the max recommended load.

A lot of shotgun loaders load in massive bulk and know that a half grain or so one way or the other makes no difference when it comes to breaking a clay pigeon or hunting. The bushings in a press are often spaced up to half a grain between sizes so if you're close enough, you're GTG and a 5% variation in burn rate doesn't matter.

Hercules Unique (the "old" formula) was a lot dirtier than "modern smoky" Unique but the burn characteristics are pretty much the same. You can use modern recipes quite safely. Unique is one of those old powders that burn really dirty and smoky below 8,000 psi but clean up nicely up around 9500 psi which still gives you quite a bit of margin for a shotgun. In pistol loads, it's fine but still a little smoky with light 45ACP loads.

At low pressures, you might get blowby of the gases in your face with a 1911 loaded too lightly with Unique. My first reloads were 4g Unique with a 230g bullet. Alliant load data said 6.5g was max so 4g should have been safe. It was but it was very smoky, left a pile of unburn flakes in front of the gun and I was told my hair was getting blown back when I shot.

[Cowboy T]

In a 1911, I tend to shoot close-to-max book loads. My pistols seem to like that better than the reduced loads.

Of all the powders I've tried, Unique isn't one of them, but I recently came across some being given away by a reloader who had to move suddenly. It will get tried out, rest assured. It's said to be one of the favored powders for perhaps my favorite handgun cartridge, the .45 (Long) Colt.

[kcstott]

In a 1911, I tend to shoot close-to-max book loads. My pistols seem to like that better than the reduced loads.

Of all the powders I've tried, Unique isn't one of them, but I recently came across some being given away by a reloader who had to move suddenly. It will get tried out, rest assured. It's said to be one of the favored powders for perhaps my favorite handgun cartridge, the .45 (Long) Colt.

Unique is a very versatile powder. it can load everything from 380 to 44 magnum with normal bullet weights. Meaning nothing heavy and nothing at magnum pressures. It's a great powder to load 9mm, 40 S&W, 45 acp and 45 colt. It's also a great shotgun powder.

[JagerDog]

Alliant Unique is very close to Hercules Unique because Alliant manufactures Unique to match the performance of the powder as close as possible. Lot to lot variations even within a year can differ by several percent so it's always best to start low and work your way up ensuring you don't go over the max recommended load.

A lot of shotgun loaders load in massive bulk and know that a half grain or so one way or the other makes no difference when it comes to breaking a clay pigeon or hunting. The bushings in a press are often spaced up to half a grain between sizes so if you're close enough, you're GTG and a 5% variation in burn rate doesn't matter.

Hercules Unique (the "old" formula) was a lot dirtier than "modern smoky" Unique but the burn characteristics are pretty much the same. You can use modern recipes quite safely. Unique is one of those old powders that burn really dirty and smoky below 8,000 psi but clean up nicely up around 9500 psi which still gives you quite a bit of margin for a shotgun. In pistol loads, it's fine but still a little smoky with light 45ACP loads.

At low pressures, you might get blowby of the gases in your face with a 1911 loaded too lightly with Unique. My first reloads were 4g Unique with a 230g bullet. Alliant load data said 6.5g was max so 4g should have been safe. It was but it was very smoky, left a pile of unburn flakes in front of the gun and I was told my hair was getting blown back when I shot.

For 45 ACP ball ammo, you only need to remember 123456

1.23 OAL
45 ACP
6 gn Unique.

[anyracoon]

JD
Is that lead or FMJ 230 grain?

[pennstater]

In a 1911, I tend to shoot close-to-max book loads. My pistols seem to like that better than the reduced loads.

Of all the powders I've tried, Unique isn't one of them, but I recently came across some being given away by a reloader who had to move suddenly. It will get tried out, rest assured. It's said to be one of the favored powders for perhaps my favorite handgun cartridge, the .45 (Long) Colt.

Cowboy, you're really going to like Unique in your .45 Colt.
8.0gr under a 250gr rnfp=BLISS!

MLC